Stillness in Bloom - Personal Project / Art Direction

Stillness in Bloom is a self-initiated project that explores the quiet power of stillness, emotional presence, and the poetic interplay between nature and identity. Blending portraiture, floral symbolism, and stylised visual elements, the series reflects my ongoing interest in narrative-led art direction. I used generative AI to develop individual elements such as portraits and botanical illustrations, then brought them together through carefully composed layouts, colour grading, and visual rhythm. Each image was built manually, allowing me to shape the mood and tone with intention. The soft, muted palette was chosen to evoke calm and introspection. Organic forms and delicate contrasts reinforce the themes of inner growth and quiet transformation. This project is part of a wider creative exploration - A space to experiment, reflect, and reimagine how emerging tools can support personal storytelling through art direction.

Stillness in Bloom celebrates Black identity through stillness, presence, and floral form. Merging editorial portraiture with painterly botanicals, this series invites viewers into a space of quiet observation — not just representation, but reverence.

Creative Process

This project began on Adobe Firefly Board, where I explored visual ideation, floral styles, and compositions. Using AI tools, I shaped the base imagery, ensuring rich skin tones, delicate botanical interactions, and editorial lighting.

The final artworks were composed, edited, and refined in Adobe Photoshop — balancing color grading, textural softness, and layout precision. Each piece was titled to reflect an archetypal role, further grounding the narrative within a timeless, symbolic framework.

Visual moodboard and concept exploration created using Adobe Firefly. Early floral iterations, tonal palettes, and subject experiments helped shape the final vision.

Tools used

Adobe Firefly (ideation,AI generation), Magnific (AI enhancement), Adobe Photoshop (editing & compositing, color grading). Art direction, prompt crafting, and visual composition by David Chong Wa.

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